That's because the Dynamite adaptations of beloved pulp heroes have been - mostly - very disappointing.
But, at the last second, I picked up Justice, Inc. - The Avenger. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that it was written by Mark Waid. That was very comforting.
The Avenger is Richard Benson, a man who is stricken by tragedy when he loses his wife and daughter - it leaves his face a frozen (but malleable) white mask, his hair bleached white.
He dedicates his life to fighting against the kind of evil that took his family, and he builds an unusual team to help in his fight.
If you didn't know any of that before picking up this issue, don't worry - Waid's story clearly identifies each character and sets up a strange and unearthly menace - a classic, horrific pulp monster / mystery.
The art by Ronilson Freire is solid work, with good characterizations of the team members (while smoothing off some of the more stereotyped aspects of the originals).
So far, this is the best of the pulp efforts I've seen to date - which is great, because The Avenger is one of the all-time great pulp heroes. He's long overdue for star treatment.
Grade: A-
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